Patent GB-534335-A (GB)
Title: Improvements in printing or recording apparatus, particularly for use in tabulating or accounting machines
IPC: B41L45/00
Filed: 1939-07-28
Abstract: 534,335. Addressing machines; typewriters &c. ADDRESSOGRAPH-MULTIGRAPH CORPORATION. July 28, 1939, No. 21962. Convention date, July 28, 1938. [Classes 100 (ii) and 100 (iv)] [Also in Group XIX] In an calculating and adaressing machine, particularly for producing business documents such as dividend warrants, operating under the control of primary devices, such as perforated and embossed cards fed in sequence through the machine, mechanism is provided whereby the primary devices control the production of secondary control devices which act in conjunction with the primary devices to control a secondary function of the machine. In the form described each primary device, which bears representations of a shareholder's name and address as well as his shareholding, functions to produce a perforated record card of the amount payable as a dividend. This record card is then utilized as a secondary control device, in the succeeding cycles of operation, to control the operation of mechanism which functions to produce the variable particulars for a dividend warrant and for making a record on a proof sheet retained in the machine. The machine as shown in Figs. 2 and 3, comprises a hopper H in which the primary printing and control plates D are stacked, a roll of paper R from which the dividend cheques or warrants are produced, a guideway G along which the warrants are fed in stages to printing positions, a stack of cards C that can be fed to a puncing mechanism 1407 to produce the secondary control device, a runway 1487 along which the prepared cards are fed to a sensing mechanism 673, and a rotary printing unit U from which constant repeated matter is obtained. Control devices and cheque sheet.-The primary devices comprise a frame D, Fig. 4, with interchangeable data plates 2, 5 for names and addresses and a control card 6 perforated in accordance with a code to represent an amount of shares or stock held. The secondary devices are formed from the blank cards C and are punched with a single hole in each column position as shown in Fig. 44. The roll R is severed by a reciprocable knife 89 to produce a cheque sheet S, Fig. 8. Before being severed impressions are made thereon of the date E and signature B. In the first stage of movement of the sheet S along the guideway C the amount V is printed by the action of a platen 250 against type segments set in accordance with the result of the multiplication of the factor entered from the card 6 of the primary control device and a dividend rate set up in the machine and fixed for a series of operations as described in Specification 534,334, [Group XIX]. At the same time the punching mechanism 1407 is actuated to produce the secondary control card C. In the next stage the sheet S is fed to a position beneath a platen P which is operated to print the matter A from the embossed plate 2 of the primary device D. At the end of the third stage the sheet S is received by the printing unit U when the constant matter F and serial number N is printed. Finally the sheet passes into a collecting receiver. In the second position the platen P also impresses a proof sheet (Fig. 9 not shown) with the name and address, the serial number, and the amount. Use of secondary control devices.-The cards C, having been punched in a manner described in the above mentioned Specification, are conveyed over the runway 1487 to a card guideway 673, Figs. 22, 23 and 28 of an auxiliary printing mechanism. The cards are arrested by a stop finger 674 controlled by a cam shaft 676, the finger being raised after the cards have been sensed to permit a roller 1503 to eject them to a card receiver. The means for sensing a card include a number of sensing bars 682, one for each column, guided on rollers 684 mounted in frame plates supported on a girder for removal as a unit. Each sensing bar is formed with a sensing nose 736, a stop tooth 760 and an upper and lower rack 729, 820. The racks 729 engage toothed segments 730 controlled by springs 734 and are reciprocated at each operation by a roller 694 carried on arms 696 rocked by means of a follower arm 698 and cam 701 on the main cam shaft 702. The shaft 702 is set in motion. on the energization of a solenoid, through the agency of a clutch similar to that described in the above mentioned Specification and gearing with a slip clutch connected to a belt driven pulley 726. During the initial part of the movement of the shaft a cam 755 rocks a lever 751 which raises a link 748 to rock a bell crank 744 that normally supports a block 738 with V-shaped notches on a pivoted arm 739. When the bell crank is rocked the block 738 is lowered to permit the passage of the stop teeth as the sensing bars 682 take up their positions in accordance with the holes in the card. The block 738 is held in depressed position by a latch mechanism until the end of the clockwise movement of the rocker 696, Fig. 28, when it releases the latch and the cam 755 returns the bell crank 744 through the spring 756 to raise the block 738 and seat the stop teeth in the appropriate notches to retain the sensing bars in adjusted position. The gear segments 730 are mounted on spacing collars on a shaft 753 and are connected to arms 772 on which are pivoted type segments 774 guided in slots in an arcuate block 776. Sensing bars which are not to co-operate with perforated columns in a card are held against movement by a plate 765 with a depending end engaging a notch in the top of the sensing bars. Impression mechanism; zero suppressing.- The type elements are pressed against the plate P by the action of spring controlled hammers 778 normally held by latches 797. The latches 797 have extensions engaging notches in sectors 804 on the gear segments so that when a segment is moved from zero position the hammer is freed. A roller 786 on a rocker 787 engages the tail ends of the hammers and is withdrawn suddenly by the action of a cam on the main shaft to cause the hammers to strike. Zeros to the right of the highest significant digit are printed by reason of the provision of over-lapping projections 805 on the hammer latches.